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How to Prepare for Rehab | Getting Started

The first step in preparing yourself for recovery is to take a deep breath and recognize that you have made a healthy decision for your future. Now that you’ve come this far, here are the next steps you should take before entering recovery.

The most important thing to remember when preparing for rehab is to keep it simple. It is important that you take care of any work, family or financial obligations. Because while you are in treatment, your entire focus should ideally be on yourself and your recovery.

Spend positive time with loved ones.

The decision to go into treatment has likely come with encouragement and motivation from close family and friends. Before treatment, spend time with loved ones — this will help keep you strong in your decision to get sober.

Get the proper rest.

Take care of yourself before you go to drug and alcohol rehab. Get some rest, and try to eat right. You’ll get more of this when you go to drug rehab, but the initial detox period can be physically taxing so it doesn’t hurt to start out with a full tank.

Be positive and patient.

Going into rehab with a positive attitude is essential to getting the most out of your detox experience and maintaining a healthy outlook on life. Don’t get discouraged if results aren’t seen right away.

Leaving Children for Treatment

If you have children, talk to them one-on-one. Kids do not need to know every detail of addiction, but they can understand being sick. Explain that just like they see a doctor when they are sick, you too are getting help for something that is making you sick. Allow your children to ask questions.

Prepare your home for your absence.

If you live alone, pay any bills you might have ahead of time, and have your mail and newspapers held. If you have pets, ask a family member or friend to take care of them while you’re away or line up their stay at a kennel. You might also want to have a neighbor, friend, or family member check on your home periodically while you’re away.

Tie up any Loose Ends Before Going into Treatment

Before entering rehab, there are several steps you may need to take to prepare. In general, it is important that you take care of any work, family or financial obligations. Because while you are in treatment, your entire focus should ideally be on yourself and your recovery. If you are stressing about your life outside of treatment it will be difficult to maintain that focus. Additionally, if you return to a chaotic situation upon completing treatment, you may be more prone to relapse. After all, stress is a major relapse trigger.

Keep an Open Mind.

Keeping an open mind is an essential part to getting the most out of recovery. It is not easy to go into treatment without expectations and preconceived ideas but the more you can be open to the process, the more you will be able to benefit from it. Notice when you have expectations about yourself or your treatment program, and try to surrender them.

If you have made the decision to enter a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, then you have taken the first step towards a healthier, happier, more mindful life. Sometimes, just making the decision to address your addiction is the most difficult part of the process. For many people, it can take a series of hardships to arrive at this point, like the loss of relationships, deteriorating health, financial problems, and more. Even if it might not seem like it right at this moment, your circumstances can only improve upon freeing yourself from addiction. Yes, the process is challenging, but the rewards are more than worth it.